The Delta State Government is set to take decisive action against doctors and health workers who abandon their duty posts across the state.
It also expressed dissatisfaction with the quantity of expired drugs discovered at the pharmacy in Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, located in the Ethiope West Council Area, reports Saturday Tribune.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, stated that the warning became necessary following reports of absenteeism, particularly among consultants at DELSUTH, Oghara.
Speaking during a one-day working visit to the hospital yesterday, the commissioner emphasised that the state government invests significant resources in paying workers’ salaries and will not tolerate indolence or a lackadaisical attitude to work.
He said, “We received information that many doctors were not coming to work, so I came to DELSUTH, Oghara, today to conduct an on-site assessment of the complaints we received.
“In the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, for example, out of the 15 consultants, only a handful are coming to work.
“Furthermore, there are seven consultants in this department who have not handled a single case, and I reprimanded them.
“These doctors who are not coming to work will face severe consequences because Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda has zero tolerance for lackadaisical attitudes toward work.
“Workers must report to duty because the state government is spending a lot of money paying salaries, and this must stop.
“I also issued a warning to the doctors and other health workers. Additionally, in the pharmacy, we observed that a significant number of drugs have expired.
“I have instructed them to maintain proper records of their minimum and maximum stock levels to avoid wastage.”
Commenting on ongoing projects at the hospital, Dr. Onojaeme said, “We inspected the ongoing projects in the hospital, including the 24-bed self-contained unit, which is almost completed. We also visited the 24-bed House Officers’ Quarters, which is about 75 percent completed.
“We encouraged the contractors to maintain the quality of their work so that the projects can be completed promptly.”
